U--Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC) Membership fee for network access, VLAN Connection to DC Network and Network Traffic Bit Fees

The Fleet & Industrial Supply Center San Diego, (FISC SD) California hereby gives notice of intent to award a commercial, FAR Part 12, sole source contract to the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC), under the authority of the test program for certain commercial items, as implemented by FAR 13.501(a)(1)(ii). The Naval Postgraduate School's (NPS) Information Technology & Communications Service (ITACS) Department in Monterey, California requires an associate membership to CENIC to receive twelve (12) months of network access and associated connection to the California Research and Education Network (CalREN), Internet 2, National Lambda Rail (NLR), and other high-performance-research and education networks (HPR) with backbone data rates of 10 gigabits per second (Gbps) and higher (1 ea); VLAN connection to DC Internet Peering Network (1 ea); and network traffic bit fees (1 ea). CENIC is the sole network operator that can deliver 10 Gbps access for the NPS' high-performance-network computing requirements and peers with other HPR networks through the U.S. and abroad to facilitate the NPS in meeting mission goals of higher education. Only CENIC peers with the following networks, which NPS requires access to and gains access to through associate membership: Internet 2, National Lambda Rail (NLR), CUDI, Esnet, Pacific Northwest Gigapop, Defense Research and Education Network (DREN), CA*net4, Qatar Foundation, Taiwan Research Network (TANET2), Singapore Advanced Research and Education Network (SingAREN), and Microsoft Corporation. Access to the aforesaid networks is required to facilitate access to research portals for NPS' .edu and .mil domains. Further, only CENIC is capable of delivering the 10 GB access to for NPS' high-performance network access needs. Both are essential to the Government's requirements, thereby precluding consideration of other network access services. Interested parties may identify their interest and capability to meet the Government's requirement. THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE QUOTES. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. No solicitation document is available. Interested parties shall submit information that indicates their ability to satisfy this requirement, N00244-09-T-0622. Responses are due by 1:00 P.M., Monday, 31 August 2009, via email. Point of contact is Kelley C. Wall, contact@example.gov or at +1 (555) 000-0000.